Throughout
the year, some of
Mark Z. Danielewski’s biggest fans have been participating in a revolutionary
experiment. Danielewski has taken the footnotes
and appendices of Houseof Leaves about
ten steps forward. Fan submissions
to an August
2005 post
on Danielewski’s
official website mingle with the prose
narratives of Hailey and Sam, the two
protagonists
in the author’s second
novel, Only
Revolutions.

Danielewski
includes historical notes
in the margins, and a portion
of Sam’s story,
as well as a portion
of Hailey’s, on
each of the 360 pages in his latest work.
The novel gives hints that the
narratives, told in Sam and Hailey’s point of
view, are actually voiceover to the historical notes, which
would show up
on the movie screen
of your mind. The book literally
has the reader turning the pages, as well as the actual book, as Sam
and Hailey embark on a roadtrip throughout two hundred years
of
history, some
of which hasn’t happened yet.

The book is
difficult to take in all at once, as it is masterfully complex.
Each page contains a preset number
of words from each narrative.
Cars, animals and plants are scattered throughout each side
of the
story, many of which were culled from fan submissions and
suggestions from friends. The story is
one of love and war. As
millions die in the historical sidebars, Sam and Hailey’s cars are
fueled forward on roadways throughout the United States, stopping
through familiar locations, and leaving carnage in their path.

At the beginning
of the Spring,
Danielewski started another part of the experiment.
His official website had become a vast resource
of information and
discussion about his previous works, and he wanted to make sure that
same resource would be available for fans
of his new novel. He
invited approximately 60 loyal forum participants to experience the
book six months before it went to print. Advance Reader Editions
were sent out to these fans, with the compliments
of the author, to
allow them to begin their analysis and discussion.

As Summer began, Danielewski again asked his fans for assistance, this time in an
open audition for the audio project that would be developed
alongside the print version of Only Revolutions. The first
fruits of this part
of the experiment can be heard in “Revolutions
of Ruin,” an audio track currently playable
on Danielewski’s
website, as well as on MySpace. “Revolutions
of Ruin” includes 20
voices, most coming from the fan submissions.

Autumn brings us
the actual physical book release. The novel is now available in the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Danielewski is set
to tour
North America, including readings, Q&A and signings at many
bookstores. Follow the tour allong with US on our blog.